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Topic: SPECIALIST VISIT TODAY (Read 3682 times)

Hi everyone. I went to Gainesville Florida today for my visit with Dr. Antonelli. I have now been moved to the watch and wait status. Hefelt that since I have no symptoms except the hearing loss in the left ear, and due to the size of my AN, that waiting would be my bestoption. Does that mean that from now on I need to post under the watch and wait status? I will need to have another MRI in approxone year to see if there has been any growth, or if I start experiencing any other symptoms, then I am to get in touch with him. I wasvery impressed....with him being a specialized surgeon, I thought he would opt for the surgery right off, but he didn't. He was telling methat in the future, most of the AN treatment is going to revert over to radiation....of course he didn't really explain the reasoning for thisto me, and I guess I should have asked. So, I am somehow more relaxed, but do not feel totally out of the woods just yet if you knowwhat I mean.

Agnes, I am so happy for you! I agree with Bruce sounds like your Dr gave you good advice. I have a little bit of tumor left from my surgery on the bone next to the brainstem. My dr is just watching it and if it decides to grow we will more than likely zap it out. In the meantime, I am anxious to have my next MRI in September and move from 4 times a year to hopefully just once a year.

I was also in Gainesville today and my eye Dr said my eye was doing great from last weeks eye surgery to correct the double vision. It still is very red and ugly but healing nicely....

Agnes, please feel free to post anywhere you like. We have many folks who are in the same position as you. Hopefully you all will never have to go thru surgery or radiation. Our prayers are for all of you guys/gals to be stubborn and not let that thing in your head get any bigger! More importantly that your side effects will not get worse!

Well thank you. I feel lucky at this point, but as to what the future holds is another story. I haveread some incredible things on this forum about individuals going through their treatments, aftereffects, etc and my heart goes out to each one. Some have been rather lucky, and some have not of course. I will just deal with things as they come face to face and in the meantime I am going totry to live a "normal life".

So glad to hear that your appointment went well. I saw Dr Antonelli first after being diagnosed where I live, Vero Beach, FL. He also put me in watch and wait. A year later, my AN had grown, my hearing had decreased and I met Dr Brackmann from HEI at the Orlando AN conference. He did my surgery as I was fortunate to be able to fly to LA. The decision was purely made on his higher experience but I did like Dr Antonelli and if I had to stay in Florida I would have had him do my surgery.